


Under The Sky

by Ginny41



Category: IZONE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:53:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25892410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ginny41/pseuds/Ginny41
Summary: Chaewon learned from early age that she had to do whatever it takes to survive in that world. Minjoo never had a choice but to follow orders. They lived in the same city, but never shared the same world – at least, until that night.
Relationships: Kim Chaewon (IZONE)/Kim Minju
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30





	1. Under The Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> A few warnings for this story: 
> 
> 1\. This will contain trigger warnings, that might include: mentions of violence, death and mild language. I will give a warning whenever a TW happens in a chapter. If necessary, I will change the story's rating, but nothing graphic should happen here.  
> 2\. Like the tags say, this is a fantasy/sci-fi fic and the whole universe here is created by me, therefore I will try to keep the lore as well structured as possible, but things will be revealed as the story goes.   
> 3\. English is not, by any meanings, my first language and grammar mistakes will be present, you've been warned.  
> 4\. I'm not sure when this will be updated, I just felt like posting so don't wait for anything.
> 
> That is it, good read.

Condensed air left Chaewon’s nostrils, forming a small cloud in the dark night. A quick look at the sky and she just knew it would be another one of those long, cold nights that were so common at that time of the year. She nodded to herself, ever so slightly, in a silent thank you. It may not be the most pleasant of the weathers, but it would be just right for what she was about to do – and she really needed things to go as planned for once.

Working, at least for her, always depended on luck and she had very little reasons to believe she was the lucky one tonight. Or ever, for what she could recall from the past twenty and one years of her life.

** “Are you all ready?” ** The oldest of them asked, his smirk visible even under the face mask he was wearing. Considering what they were about to do, it was really fitting. Chaewon wasn’t feeling even a bit smug herself, she knew better than to take things for granted and no matter how easy this job seemed, nothing is ever so simple.

While the two others answered, she simply nodded slowly as her eyes darted around the place, trying to memorize every single important thing about it. They were still inside the middle district, the gray area where the population with a slightly better economic status lived with their noses stuck up in the air during the day and at night the streets were filled with drug dealers and homeless people who were usually also addicts – they were the main issue if you were new there, always ready to pickpocket anyone they could lay their hands on, sometimes they wouldn’t even be subtle about it and attack directly. Chae had a taser gun with her to deal with them.

The streets were narrow and poorly illuminated, the only light coming from the luminous signs and billboards with a variety of ads for products most people couldn’t afford, scammers trying to lure naïve passerby and the obligatory government propaganda once in a while – most weren’t working properly, the drug addicted probably had stolen some of the parts to try and exchange it for more drugs; an useless effort, the police would be on them in no time and all that would be left is another corpse dumped in the trash and a broken sign. Thanks to this, everything had a gloomy atmosphere to it, the mix of black and gray from the streets and old buildings, to the sickly bright red and purple from the signs.

It was still much better than the area she was born into.

The streets smelled like dust and smoke, be it from the two vehicles that were shot down and now only had their pieces scattered around, or the usual depressing smell of the empty streets after a night of patrols – Chaewon knew the addicts wouldn’t be around for a while, making it the perfect chance for them.

Their group was what the cops liked to call “leeches”, not that she minded the word they used. Their job was to take the chance, to be smart and quick enough to go and grab what they could when time was right. They weren’t stupid druggies, but an organized group that benefited from others weakness – a store with poor security, a house with a hack-able system, a vehicle that crashed and had plenty of valuable parts they could sell quickly…Those were the best and that night they had quite the luck.

Chaewon had been thinking about how she would manage to use the few credits she still had to buy herself some food and maybe get a new pair of shoes that wouldn’t squeaky every time she took a new step. They didn’t have any luck this week, failing to locate a good target within the neighborhood and she was starting to think they would have to move further into the city to get something – she hated the idea, the closer they were from the inner city circle, the bigger were the chances of getting into trouble. Dealing with the robotic patrol was enough for her, she didn’t want to deal with the cyborgs they had in the wealthy part of the city – she had never seen one and she wasn’t planning on ever doing so.

It was ironic that her chance of getting some extra credits came in the form of the thing she feared.

The rumors said the cyborgs at the central station rode expensive, yet compact individual vehicles that were similar to the motorcycles people once used. The said vehicle was made out of high-tech material and a bunch of equally valuable metal pieces, what meant that even getting one or two pieces could be worth thousands of credits. It was, of course, also a risky deal. After all, those vehicles wouldn’t simply be on its own.

She didn’t want to come face to face with one of those monsters the Holders had created to patrol their skies like cybernetic slaves. She wasn’t quite sure how much of the rumors were true, but the simple thought of having to face something that was half human and half machine gave her shivers – would they really look like lifeless corpses made out of steel? Or just like any normal person with the machine taking control from the inside? One way or another, they were merciless and all the stories she ever heard never came from someone who escaped them.

Clenching her teeth, she nodded once more, having memorized all possible escape routes. She was no fool, no precious equipment was worth getting killed and she wouldn’t wait for anyone if it was time to run – they wouldn’t wait for her either, that wasn’t part of the rules of this business. Surviving always comes first.

Swiftly the group separated, one of them staying in the look out while the other two went to check the vehicle closest to them – the one which whoever once drove it had been forcefully ejected from it before the vehicle hit one of the street lighters breaking it in half. It was the easy target and of course they would prefer to get it first. As for Chaewon, the second vehicle was left. It fell at the side alley, covered by the pitch black of the small space, only eventual sparks illuminating the area and only long enough for her to be able to tell it was indeed an official vehicle.

She could feel her mouth getting dry, making it hard to swallow the knot on the throat. Her heart was also beating fast now, all her senses aware of the danger she was facing. She was fast and small, good at running and hiding, at sneaking around unnoticed. But this was a huge risk. She couldn’t possibly know what expected her at the vehicle, but she didn’t have much of a choice. Not checking the machine would mean she wouldn’t get anything for this job, her associates wouldn’t share their own findings with her and she couldn’t afford to go home empty handed again. Not doing the job would mean having to go further into the city alone to try to make some money and it would be even more dangerous.

Cursing her ominous luck, she fixed the black mask under the lower part of her face and walked glued to the wall, trying to silence the squeaky sound of her old sneakers as she dragged her feet slowly. She had a flashlight in her back pocket but she wouldn’t dare to use it and call attention to herself. Instead, she was wearing the colored glasses she had got for a few credits from one of the druggies a month ago, the guy claimed she would be able to see in the dark and after some tests she verified it was true to some extent – the lenses were a little scratched, but it was still good enough to make things a little easier to see in the dark, coloring everything blue and green instead of black.

Right now, the glasses were only enough to show her the badly crumpled vehicle that had hit the wall with full force, a piece of the old concrete was now over the machine and dust was everywhere. The smell of burned was stronger there, probably coming from the fried circuits. Albeit the terrible situation, there was no sound but the occasional spark coming from it. No beeps, no message tones, no orders coming through the communicator, not even a single cry of pain coming from the half-robot cop inside of it.

Chaewon reached for her own neck, trying to undo the tight knot in her throat. She was no coward, but not knowing the monster she was about to face made her legs weak, the shiver stronger. She doubted her taser gun would be of any use to stop them. Her only chance was that the collision broke the cyborg as badly as it broke the vehicle or even better, there was no cyborg to begin with.

_ Please be empty, please be empty, please _ …She asked mentally, forcing herself to approach the vehicle. All she wanted was some metal parts, she desperately needed it to get credits – the only form of money there was now. She needed more than the barely edible dehydrated food she had been portioning all week with smaller and smaller portions every day, and this was her one chance of getting it.

Crouching beside the vehicle, she took out the small tool she could use to remove the safety panel on its side and deactivate the location system – if it was indeed like the old patrol vehicles she had worked on before. But her hands were stiff, working slowly as she kept her eyes on the door, waiting for a violent cyborg to just jump out of there and kill her with a single hit.

Nothing happened.

Deactivating the location system was a waste of time, the vehicle was beyond dead and it didn’t make a sound as she cut the wires and unplugged all the small silver pieces she could pocket. If she could remove the metal lid, she would be able to get to the silver plate they used to create the more intricate components, those would be worth quite a bit. It was an extra risk, but after three minutes of absolute silence, she was becoming a little more comfortable and suddenly danger didn’t seem as imminent.

Maybe there wasn’t a cyborg to begin with, probably ejected from it before the vehicle landed just like the other one had been. Maybe it was her lucky day indeed.

Not quite.

She managed to get the silver plates out in record time, her hands working fast in the barely illuminated place, quickly slipping every single one of the objects into her pocket. It would be enough to get her food for two weeks, maybe three if she found a good deal. Yet nothing comes without a price.

She hadn’t even taken out the last plate when she heard a noise, one that couldn’t possibly come out of a machine – a painful groan, followed by the sound of a body sliding out of the seat. Chaewon had opened her eyes wide, trying to jump behind as quickly as she could, but the sound of her damned old shoes squeaking made it obvious she was there, her glasses sliding off her nose and in no time she was only able to see things due to the light of the vehicle that was now working thanks to the open door, and she was facing…A monster?

Chae stopped breathing as the other woman fell on the ground as she opened the door, blood all over her hands and wounds on her face – her face, the one missing a part of the skin to show the green and gold of an electronic board. A cyborg. She was in front of a cyborg, but instead of a merciless cold-blooded creature, the monster looked like a fragile girl in need of help.

** “No…No orders.” ** The cyborg muttered, a feminine voice instead of a robotic one. The sound was low, broken, as if every word was painful. Could a cyborg even feel pain? Could it even feel anything? **“Alone.”** The young cyborg continued, her black and silver uniform damaged and stained by the blood, the human side of her face against the cold and dirt floor, dark blonde hair pressed to her cheek, her eyes injected with an unnatural blue rue were looking at Chaewon, _pleading_. **“It…It hurts.”**

That cyborg could definitely feel, and whatever she was feeling now wasn’t pleasant. The young woman felt her blood going cold, her mind in a mess of thoughts as she tried to understand what was happening. There was a cyborg in front of her, one that looked so human, hurt and weak, yet there wasn’t a single sign of help coming for her – Chaewon was the only there for her now, how ironic.

Suddenly, it was a little hard to breathe. No, it wasn’t her lucky day, not at all.

** “I-I can’t help you.” ** Chaewon shook her head, a mix of fear and despair washing over her. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. She only needed the silver plates, not this…Whatever this situation was. Cyborgs weren’t more than machines made with dead human parts, just a machine like any other using a body that should’ve been buried long ago, that’s what she always heard. This creature in front of her now, couldn’t possibly feel, she couldn’t be in pain, she just _couldn’t_ – or could she? **“You are…”** _Dangerous. A monster. A mistake._ All words she heard before, all sounding so meaningless and wrong now. **“They will come for you.”** She said instead, her voice small, unsure. That monster didn’t quite look like one, more than this, she had a bitter taste in her mouth telling her she just told a lie.

The human tried to back away as the cyborg dragged the rest of her body out of the vehicle – a human body. **“It hurts…All alone.”** The cyborg's eyes were still on her, the creature taking short, painful breaths. There were tears in her eyes, the blue of her irises fading slowly to allow a chocolate tone to take over, showing its true color. **“No help…No one to help.”** Her eyes were sad, hopeless. A hand with two metallic fingers reached for her, blood covered human fingers too weak to do more than grasp the air. **“Please…”**

The knot on Chaewon’s throat seemed to make its way to her heart, making it clench painfully at every word of that creature. No one was coming for the cyborg, no one but her. How could she simply ignore someone suffering? 

Sirens sounded, announcing curfew was about to start and no one would want to be there once the streets were filled with the white fog that was as deadly as mysterious.

In ten minutes, no one who was outside would be alive in that part of the town. Not even that cyborg.

Chaewon's eyes darted from the creature to the dark alley where only the cyborg’s painful cries and the sound of the steps of her group running away could be heard – of course, they didn’t even hesitate before fleeing without her. It was now or never, she couldn’t waste any more time.

Feeling her hands trembling, she used them to help herself to get up and approached the vehicle again. Her eyes didn’t acknowledge the creature who was still on the floor, instead she inspected the vehicle quickly to take anything of value and stuff it inside the large pockets of her jacket, her heart beating so fast in her chest that its sound was almost deafening to her ears.

Another siren was heard, eight minutes to go now. She would need four to run and reach the next safe place, ten until the fog was knocking at her door and hours until it was completely gone.

Something grabbed onto her leg – a bloody, weak hand that was trying so hard to get her attention, to ask for help once more. Chae looked at the hand on her leg, expecting to feel nauseated by it, to feel the fear rushing over her and knocking her down again, prompting her to run away forever. However, she only felt her chest even tighter, her gaze going to meet the face of the woman on the floor, a face that was so tired and marked by the pain and hopelessness. Locking her chestnut eyes into the darker brown of the creature, she pressed her lips into a thin line, hands into fists as she made her final decision.

It was a cruel world, a terrible one to live in. Yet, she was more than just the product of it, just like that creature was more than a soulless machine.

Without much thought, she finally took action and she reached for the cyborg. Her hands reached to snatch away the red communicator in her uniform, throwing it as far as she could. Those same hands were shaking as she grabbed the cyborg by the arm, her body crying with the effort of helping to lift the cyborg so she could throw her arm over her shoulders and help her to walk. The cyborg’s body was warm, her blood as red as any other, her tears more honest than any human's Chaewon had ever met.

Chaewon was afraid, she was terrified. But she wouldn’t let anyone die like that.

Another siren, this time louder. They had ten minutes at best to reach the safe place before the fog did. Ten minutes to survive and she had to drag a half dead cyborg all the way there.

She was screwed.

* * *

It was no surprise that dragging a barely conscious cyborg wasn’t an easy task, but whether it was due to the sudden boost of adrenaline running through her body or because the stranger was surprisingly light for a half-robot, Chaewon managed to get them to a safe place two minutes before the fog reached their area. It wasn’t her house, of course not, it would take a while to reach her place even using the tunnels under the city – and she surely didn’t want to risk meeting some unpleasant people there –, therefore she had taken them to the nearest place she could think of.

Cold sweat made its way down her face as she clenched her teeth, dragging the girl with her upstairs. They were at an old factory, one of the many Chaewon had invaded before in one of her jobs, the place was long abandoned though and there wasn’t anything of value left – security was still working regardless, and she was only able to get in thanks to the fact that they didn’t have changed the password. Thanks gods for lazy people.

Her heart was still beating hard against her ribcage, not only thanks to the effort she had to put to make it there in time, but mostly thanks to the figure next to her.

It was strange, so very strange.

The cyborg hadn’t utterly a word all the way there, she had a frown on her pale face and seemed to be focusing all of her energy in dragging her feet, trying to match Chaewon’s steps. The girl was still in pain, letting out a soft cry once in a while, but it was clear for Chae that the cyborg was trying to restrain herself and cooperate as much as she could.

Again, it was weird. weird that the creature seemed to be so human. The body against hers was warm, the blood still dripping from her wounds very real, the weight of her intense look more intense than any other Chae had ever felt over her, the beats of her heart strong enough for Chaewon to be able to feel it as she hugged her a little closer…That girl was a cyborg, but she didn’t feel like anything other than human, maybe more human than Chaewon herself felt most of the time.

Chestnut eyes stole a look at the girl, her hands coming to support the cyborgs back and pull her even close so she could rest against her as Chae slowly helped her to sit down in the small platform. The cyborg rested her head on Chaewon’s shoulder, the pale skin contrasting against the dark green of her jacket, the dry blood on the creature’s face giving her a grotesque look that didn’t match the gentleness of the brown eyes looking back at the human – once more, Chaewon felt like it was hard to breathe, and it had nothing to do with the fog that was slowly entering the place through the cracks of the steal gates down below, making the only safe place the first floor where they now were. The gas was lethal, but only if in close contact with the body, they should be fine as long as they stayed far from it.

Forcing herself to breathe, she felt a soft tug inside her chest – not fear, not disgust, she felt _compassion_.

Chaewon averted her gaze, retracting one of her hands to reach for something on her pocket. Fishing the cramped toilette paper she kept there in case she got her hands dirty, she pressed it against the cyborg’s forehead, receiving a small groan of pain in return, before the other female heaved a sigh. It wasn’t a big wound, but she needed to stop the persistent bleeding and now it wasn’t time to second guess her choices. For whatever reason, her instinct had told her to save that cyborg, and it meant taking care of her the best way she could – she wouldn’t let the effort of dragging her all the way there go to waste, once the girl was better she could decide on what to do with her…Was it even up to her?

Her eyes scanned the girl’s body, avoiding her deep eyes, and trying to figure out what to do next. Chaewon didn’t know anything about medicine, nor she could simply drag that cyborg to a hospital even if she had the money for it, which she didn’t have. If the other was badly hurt, it could be the end for them. Feeling a knot on her stomach, she laid her eyes on the stranger, scanning for injuries and hoping everything could be fixed with some cheap medicine and rest – she only found scratches and a long wound on the girl’s upper arm still averting some blood; Chae rushed to cover it with the paper now, pressing on it until she felt the woman wince slightly.

Clenching her teeth again, Chaewon looked back at the cyborg’s face, wondering if she should try to apologize or simply tell the creature to stay still as she tried to save them both. She didn’t get to say anything.

** “Thank you.” ** A soft, gentle whisper. The cyborg’s voice was so low it was almost inaudible. She was weak, but there was sincerity in her voice, a genuine gratitude that Chaewon wasn’t used to receiving – and which she wasn’t sure she really deserved.

Averting her gaze once more, she felt the knot on her stomach become tighter – she prayed the cyborg wasn’t thanking her too soon. **“I…”** _I still haven’t saved you_ , she wanted to say, but couldn’t. She was the only hope that girl had, when she herself was never much hopeful to begin with. **“Just stay awake.”** She said instead, her eyes on the cyborg’s very human arm. Yeah, she couldn’t fail her. **“I can get you some medicine once we reach my house.”**

A weak nod against her shoulder, the cyborg’s eyes closing as she heaved a heavy breath before she could speak again, as if it took everything from her. **“Thank you.”**

** “I heard it the first time.” ** Chae muttered to herself, feeling the burden on her shoulders growing heavier. What was that girl even? She wasn’t the deadly weapon Chaewon had imagined, nor a mindless zombie, she was…Something else, something she couldn’t quite understand yet. **“What is your name? Do you… _Have_ a name?”**

Chaewon expected a code-name, maybe a sequel of numbers, instead she got a rather ordinary reply. **“Minjoo.”** The big brown orbs were open now, opaque due to pain as she looked up to meet Chae’s gaze, a hint of confusion tinting her face. Chaewon wondered if the cyborg knew as little about people like her, as she knew about Minjoo.

** “Minjoo.” ** Nodding in understanding, Chaewon tried to push aside the weird feeling that once more washed over her, the feeling that told her nothing would be the same after that night. **“Stay awake, Minjoo. We will be out of here soon.”** It was a risky promise to make, not knowing the extension of Minjoo’s wounds, the risks they could face outside, or even if Chae would be able to take her all the other to her house – yet, she said it with confidence, more than this, with the stubbornness that had keep her alive for all those years. Feeling Minjoo’s eyes still over her, expecting, she finally looked back. This time not avoiding the intense look, but facing her.  **“Chaewon, my name is Kim Chaewon.”**


	2. Under The City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, just the usual: flashbacks in italic. Good read!

Her eyes were heavy as her eyelids fluttered open to welcome the first rays of sun, shyly coming through the glass of the short windows located near the ceiling.

The girl didn’t move right away, her eyes carefully inspecting everything they could see, taking in every bit of information and trying to understand where she really was. Her memories from the night before weren’t clear, the pain that was still present – yet much less intense – in her temples had been too strong back then to allow her to think. Not only that, but all her body was still hurting, feeling twice as heavy and useless as she tried to do as much as flex the fingers of her hands. Reaching this place, wherever it was, wasn’t an easy task – one she wouldn’t be able to complete without a lot of help. 

Slowly, Minjoo tried to move, in search of her savior. 

Pain ran through her body as she moved, her left arm stiff and sensitive, making her flinch and have to take in a deep breath to contain an exclamation of pain. She had to compose herself, she had to mentally list all her injuries and try to think of ways to fix it, revisiting the training she received once – it was easier said than done, the metal of her bare foot making an unpleasant noise against the wooden floor as she tried to move her leg without much success, it was just too heavy for her now. She wasn’t completely human, but she wasn’t just a machine either.

Fighting the urge to keep her eyes closed and go back to sleep, she looked for the other woman in the hope she could once more make use of her kindness. She only found the room empty, with very little to see.

The sunlight illuminated the small room of reddish walls and slightly cracked ceiling, small pots of ceramic over a table and a variety of metal objects laying on the only chair in the room and the floor, small particles of dust floating in the air as the light hit them, emphasizing the feeling of oldness the place had. It looked like a mix of a living place and some kind of work place, although she could tell that most of the stuff piled against the walls hadn’t been touched for a very long time. If there was more to see, she wasn’t to do it from her place.

It was different from anything Minjoo had ever seen, very different from her small, highly modern and neat apartment back in the center of the city. Could someone really live in such a place? Could the woman she had met yesterday be living there? 

Hugging her arm carefully with her other hand, she once more touched the floor with one of her feet, exploring the cold surface as she thought about what to do next. A sudden pain on her left temple made her wince in pain, laying down once more. It was the first time she had ever got hurt like this, and it was much different from what she had learned in the academy, making it hard to follow the procedures – stay calm, fix yourself the best way you can, don’t ask for assistance of civilians and only use the department’s equipment if ever needed…Always be efficient and practical, do your best because once you’re out of Sursum, you’re out of the _Holders_ ’ reach. 

She had failed to follow pretty much every single rule of the book. 

But again, it was easier said than done. The manual never told her about how the pain could break you from the inside, it never told her how it could make her out of breath and desperate, how it could ruin her natural calmness and drain all her energy so quickly…How can you fix something like this? She may have her repair kit, but it was of no use for her human parts, it was of no use for her pain. Why wouldn’t they include something for it? She didn’t have to think hard about it to know the answer – at least now.

Before, such questions would run through her mind every once in a while, as she laid down on her bed after a long day and reviewed the manual mentally, using the only time she had for herself – the only time she had without the voice in her mind telling what to do and where to go. Those thoughts always made her uneasy, always made her fearful and hesitant and she tried her best to overcome them and focus on other things.

Now she didn’t feel fear or uneasiness, just a hollow feeling in her chest. Suddenly, all the answers were clear, now that the voice was no longer there. 

Letting go of her injured arm, she reached out to carefully touch the metallic surface in the side of her face, feeling the small threads of gold that were no longer able to carry the messages from the _Holders_. There was no voice because there were no orders, the voice was gone the moment she was no longer useful for the department. The voice that had been telling her what to do every single day of her life ever since she could remember, was gone. 

The silence was something new, something that left her lost and helpless at first, but now it just felt…Empty. 

The voice had been replaced by something else yesterday, something much more innate to her than the electronic body parts she had received as a child – her survival instinct. The instinct that had made her swim out of the ocean of pain and hopelessness and pushed her to leave the vehicle, the instinct that told her to trust that stranger and beg for her life, ignoring all she had ever known. 

Survival instinct is blind, it just does what is needed to keep you going, however she wasn’t sure if it was the best thing. 

While her head was empty of voices, her ears had picked up the squeak sound of the stranger’s shoes and she had seen in the fragile girl in front of her as the only source of hope. She could barely see through the blood dropping in front of her eyes, her eyes losing its ability to see more than a common human as her connection to the department was lost, only giving her enough time to identify the fragile girl who had her future in palm of her hands – only enough for her to notice the surprise and fear in her eyes, enough for her to know help might never come. 

She could only hope in that moment, she could only silently pray that the stranger was willing to help, because it was the only thing she could do for herself. The pain was too much for her, more than the physical injuries, being disconnected from the system all of sudden sent her in a painful numbness, it was almost as if she had been cut out of her own brain – and in many ways, she had been. 

A siren marked her death sentence, yet she couldn’t really hear it, her mind floating to unconscious as the spark of hope slowly disappeared inside of her – this spark was reignited as the bright chestnut eyes with a glint to them found hers, just like the gentle yet slightly rough hands touching her, and before she knew she was being dragged away from danger.

The stranger didn’t say much, nor could Minjoo have. Dragging her feet was too much of a task when she could barely keep her balance, depending completely on the other woman to lead them to safety, and she was shocked to see how reliable that stranger was. 

That factory looked like a safe haven, even if in her painful torpor all Minjoo could recognize was the stranger’s warm body and embrace, the kind of protection she had never had before and suddenly was all she could rely on. In that moment the stranger, who she knew so little about, became much more than only another face in the crowd of people she was supposed to watch over – the stranger became Chaewon and this very name gave her a special position in Minjoo’s mind, even if she could only do as much as smile weakly at her before drifting off to a sleep her body desperately needed.

She couldn’t recall how Chaewon had brought them here, to this unknown house. All she knew was that Kim had taken care of her, allowing her to sleep in the only bed that place had. Not only that, but she had also cleaned her wounds, wrapping Minjoo’s wounded arm in white fabric that was now painted green by the ointment right underneath it – probably some herbal medicine. Minjoo couldn’t feel the dry blood on her face either, meaning Chaewon had treated her other wounds as well, even though she was still in yesterday’s clothes, the torn uniform that reminded her of her now doomed career.

Her survival instinct may be blind, but it seemed to have prompted her to make the right decision. If she hadn’t asked for Chaewon’s help, she could only think she wouldn’t wake up to a new day today – or ever. 

She felt her chest grow heavier with the thought, albeit she couldn’t quite understand why. Death was natural, for people like her, this life was already a second chance, therefore she shouldn’t be selfish and hold on too tightly onto it, remembering she was only there to make sure their citizens would be safe – that was also part of the manual, one of the things she had always been taught. Yet, it wasn’t a pleasant thought, no matter how hard she had ever tried, she just couldn’t simply detach herself from her human side. 

Her eyes got lost in the distance as she pondered, her mind forgetting about the pain for a moment to think about what life could still have for her – if it had anything. There were no cyborgs outside the department, so what was she now? An anomaly to the system? Surviving may not be the same as escaping. 

** “Oh, you are awake.” ** A voice spoke – one inside the room, not one intruding her thoughts –, sounding much higher and firm than yesterday. **“I brought you medicine.”** Chaewon informed, her steps coming closer before Minjoo could do more than give her a glance – somehow, seeing Kim was enough to push aside her cloudy thoughts for now.

Minjoo blinked, looking at the newcomer and feeling relief wash over her to see Chaewon holding the metallic bottle of spray. The relief came not only from the fact that now she could get some treatment and hopefully get rid of the pain, but also the fact that Chaewon was back and she hadn’t just abandoned her there to die. Relying on a complete stranger wasn’t easy, yet it was her only option now.

** “Thank you.” ** She said as a greeting, trying to sit up and face the woman properly – her head responded with a sting pain, one that she ignored the best way she could. She needed to be strong, no matter how hard it was. “ **Where am I?”**

** “Home sweet home, where else?” ** Chaewon’s quirk reply came quickly, a hint of sarcasm on her voice. If Minjoo wasn’t having the best day, the same could be said about Chaewon, even if for very different reasons. 

Dragging Minjoo all the way there had taken all her mighty. She couldn’t simply show up with a barely conscious cyborg in her neighborhood, and even if she could, taking the long way was out of question. Therefore, she had to sneak in with Minjoo using the old tunnels of the city, the ones with rails that were almost always empty – not many people knew how to get there, even less knew how to get out, and an even smaller number would try to do it after the fog was released every night. However, Chaewon was left with no other choice but to hope all the fog was long gone once they reached the tunnels, placing back the glasses on her face to try and see any possible threat in their way as she practically carried Minjoo on her back. 

There was always a risk of bumping into someone, and no one with good intentions would be hiding in that hellhole at the early hours of the morning, and they indeed passed by two figures. Oddly, the said figures didn’t mind their presence, too engrossed with each other and whatever they were doing – probably drugs, too busy injecting their bodies with whatever chemicals they had managed to lay their hands on. Chaewon silently thanked their good luck and made sure to walk a little faster, making sure to get out of the strangers reach before they could decide that trying to attack her would be a good idea.

Maybe they were in lucky or just too much in a rush, but Chaewon didn’t spot a single soul as they emerged out of the old tunnels and swiftly moved to enter her house – the said house, a small place built under what used to be a mechanical workshop and was only an abandoned shed now; her mother said it was safer to live underground even if the ventilation wasn’t the best, and Chaewon only understood much later why. Now she was glad for her mother’s care, even if the woman was long gone, Chae was able to survive thanks to that house.

Inside the house she had dropped the cyborg girl on the bed, trying to shake off the weird feeling of having a stranger in her safe space – nothing less than a half-machine woman –, to focus on more important stuff such as making sure her guest wouldn’t die. Truth be told, she had very limited medical knowledge, but she hoped that cleaning up and disinfecting the wounds would be enough to keep Minjoo alive – and after years working as a _leech_ , she surely knew how to put on some bandages.

While Minjoo slept, too tired to even move and only letting out small cries of pain once in a while, Chaewon could barely take a nap. She had tried to sleep sitting on the floor, resting against the opposite wall in a way she could see Minjoo and the door at all times – yet she was too tense to fall asleep, tormented by the possibility of a troop of cyborgs invading her home to kill her for stealing their colleague, or worse, Minjoo waking up to show a very different, vicious, side of her and murder Chaewon in her sleep; it was stupid, part of her knew nothing would happen and she should just pray for the other woman’s quick recovery. Still, she couldn’t help but overthink.

That’s why she had left the house early in the morning to try to trade some of the things she got yesterday for medicine and food _–_ and very important information.

_ Aether, the only city Chaewon ever knew, was big and complex. A city created a long time ago, after the war that took over the world and nearly destroyed it, when the Holders took action to close their country and protect the citizens of the crazy blood-thirsty countries that insisted on the war. Aurae, the country that was once known by many different names, had Aether as one of its main cities – at least that’s what Chaewon had learned from the rare books she ever found. Travelling to other cities wasn’t allowed ever since the plagues devastated part of the country, making every city have to thrive on its own.  _

_ Chaewon didn’t really care, she doubted living anywhere else would be much different. The Holders powers controlled all of Aurae, and the war controlled the rest of the world.  _

_ Therefore, she had to learn to know her city well, as the best strategy to be able to survive there. _

_ The streets of the lower district of the city, Humili, the largest and most populated district, were narrow and always full of people during the mornings. It was almost like a city of its own, with blatant differences from one neighborhood to the other. There was the noblest region within Humili, the neighborhood where the small business still existed and where people would go for more complex products, such as technologic devices and medicine – the part where Chaewon was right now, the neighborhood that was only a low budget version of the middle district. There were also the slums, where people like Chaewon lived, the part filled with all sorts of shags and tiny houses, the one with irregular streets that would oftentimes be filled with mud and large holes caused by the rain. And there was, of course, the rural area that was separated by the fields from the rest, the place where all the farms were located and people struggled to produce food with the limited resources given by the Holders every once in a while – all the food came from there, but very little reached the other parts of the lower district. _

_ The middle district, Consili, could offer better things, but she wouldn’t risk going there during the day, especially after what happened yesterday – even thinking about it gave her a headache. Right now, she was in a very delicate, difficult, situation. Going out to sell the things she got was usually the best part, getting money and buying herself some good food, knowing she could rest for the day. But today it was different. Droplets of cold sweat making its way down her face as she hurriedly walked to reach the store, praying to be able to make a good transaction with what she had inside the pocket of her jacket and come back home as soon as possible. _

**_ “Hello there, friend.” _ ** _ A feminine voice greeted as soon as Chaewon entered the small, cramped store that was so full with all sorts of things that it was a bit overwhelming at first. Anything you needed, no matter how odd or absurd it seemed, that store could provide. Chaewon wasn’t sure how the owner managed to go unnoticed by the police, but she guessed the cyborgs were too busy patrolling the center district, the beautiful and unreachable Sursum, to mind whatever shady business anyone was doing in the poor part of the town. _

**_ “Kang Hyewon.” _ ** _ Chaewon nodded her head, in the usual greeting – Hyewon was good with words, but she wasn’t foolish enough to believe she meant it when she called her a friend. Instead of paying attention to the attractive brown-haired woman who had a smirk on her lips and intelligent dark-grey eyes, Kim had her eyes on the stuff that could be seen right behind the said woman, inspecting the shelves in search of the thing she needed. She found it easily and almost sighed in relief. _

**_ “I thought I would see you soon. Your business partners were here before you.”  _ ** _ There was a hint of sarcasm in Hyewon’s voice, what wasn’t unusual. The owner of the store was a young woman with a brain that was far more impressive than her pretty face, someone who always seemed to know about everything and still be one step ahead of others. Hyewon was probably the most dangerous person Chaewon ever met, even if she looked like a bored kid most of the time. **“Aren’t they a delight?”** Yes, definitely sarcastic. _

_ Chaewon shrugged her shoulders, preferring to not think about the group of people who didn’t hesitate before leaving her to die in the fog yesterday. Not that it was surprising. **“Did they get you some good stuff?”** She asked with a disinterested tone coming closer to the counter, albeit her ears were ready to pick up any relevant information. She knew better than to trust the group, she didn’t doubt they were capable of taking everything they could to sell – even things that the cops may use to track them. _

**_ “Not that bad, not that bad at all. Just a bit…unusual.” _ ** _ Hyewon shook her head slightly, her usual smirk still on her face, but smaller, as her fingers tapped the glass of the counter. **“They will probably burn the money in 2 days, but it is not like it is any of my business.”** Shrugging it off easily, she lifted her gaze to meet Chaewon’s, curiosity evident now. **“Now, what do you have for me today?”** _

**_ “Not that bad, huh?” _ ** _ That answer wasn’t really helpful, it meant they could’ve brought her anything and it made Chaewon feel a little less at ease **.** She wondered if they also had found a cyborg that night – and what they had done to the creature; using this word didn’t seem right now. **“Well, I may not have the same kind of stuff to offer, but I think you wouldn’t reject good silver plates and a perfect communication set from our dear government.”** _

**_ “You sound like you are curious. That’s new.” _ ** _ Hyewon noticed, her eyes shining with amusement as she leaned in over the count to gesture for Chaewon to show her the products already. **“I suppose so, if they are as good as you say.”** _

**_ “No, I was just glad you all had a…harmonious transaction.” _ ** _ She wasn’t even sure why she felt so nervous, so out of herself with worry, but it was hard to control. Maybe it was because now she had someone relying on her, someone who could’ve had a very different fate if Chaewon’s ‘friends’ found her instead. Again, she caught herself praying for whatever greater good that was there, to be lucky today. _

**_ “Uhum, of course.” _ ** _ Hyewon didn’t mind her lies, hands busy checking the plates Chaewon had handed her, inspecting it carefully as she hummed to herself – like she always did, at least that seemed normal. **“Those are good. Actually, better than what your friends got me. They weren’t exactly gentle, extracting those beauties and you know how much I hate broken pieces.”** _

_ Chaewon wanted to ask what exactly they had brought, but didn’t, afraid of talking more than she should. Keeping your silence is always the best approach when in doubt. **“So, how much for those?”** _

**_ “Hm, since we are friends and the pieces are in good condition…200 credits for each.”  _ ** _ The older woman offered, a smile on her face as if she already knew the reply she was going to get – and she did, Hyewon knew Chaewon well. _

**_ “Come on, Hye. You know those are worth at least the triple of it in Consili _ ** _.” Chaewon protested. She had worked hard to get it – putting her life at risk – and she wouldn’t accept getting such an unfair price. **“350 each.”** _

**_ “But we aren’t in the middle district, Chae.” _ ** _ Hyewon reminded, her smile still on her face as she insisted. **“250.”** _

_ Chaewon made a face, annoyed because she knew Hyewon was good at bargaining and she wasn’t in a position to demand too much when she needed money quickly. **“300 each and a bottle of your best healing spray!”** She asked instead, giving up in hiding her intentions. **“And some pills for pain.”** _

**_ “A healing spray?” _ ** _ Hye crooked an eyebrow, a questioning look in her eyes as she stared at Chaewon. **“You seem fine though.”** _

_ The Kim had to control her expression, shrugging her shoulders once more. Of course, the medicine wasn’t for her and they both knew it, but she wasn’t going to say it aloud – and she surely wouldn’t tell Hyewon who was the one that needed it. **“Better safe than sorry. So?”** _

**_ “275 each and the bottle with some painkillers to top it.” _ ** _ Kang said in a final tone, already collecting the plates and organizing them in a small container. **“You know I’m being overly kind here.”** _

_ Chaewon didn’t stop her, knowing it was the best she would be able to get. Hyewon was right, and she was one of the few dealers Chae could trust to get a decent pay. Holding a sigh, she accepted the offer. **“Deal. But what about that?”** She asked, gesturing to the radio, it wasn’t something she came across often, so she was expecting to get at least one thousand credits for it. _

**_ “I will have to check how much it’s worth in the market, we don’t see those around much, you know?” _ ** _ Hyewon lightly tapped the equipment, her eyes inspecting it for a moment, checking again for any signals of damage, before nodding in approval. **“Leave it with me and I will give you 40% of what I get for the radio.”** _

**_ “50%, since I’m trusting you with it.” _ ** _ Chae bargained – everything with Hyewon was about insistence. _

**_ “45% because you are trusting me with this rare piece that won’t be sold in the average places.” _ ** _ Hyewon reminded her and Chaewon had to refrain from grimacing again. _

_ Chae was expecting for the older woman to put it away, and proceed with the payment, but it didn’t happen. Instead, Hyewon assumed a more serious expression as her fingers traced the shape of the radio, dark eyes on Chaewon’s lighter ones. **“You know, some of the things your friends brought…those aren’t things I would buy, but I can’t promise others will do the same.”** Her tone was grave, making Chaewon feel a cold shiver run through her body, making her uneasy. **“Cyborgs are still humans, but not everyone is.”** Chaewon’s eyes grew wide. The other vehicle was supposed to be empty, and even if it wasn’t, what could they have done to the cyborg there? **“The cops are sweeping the streets of Consili in search of something, but no one seems to know what. I suspect retrieving empty vehicles doesn’t make them happy.”** _

_ If some silver plates could be worth thousands of credits, how much would a silver hand cost? Or even an advanced electronic board? Probably a few millions…It never occurred to her to sell parts of the cyborg she found, the same woman she left back at her place and rushed there to find medicine for – because for her Minjoo was, after all, still human, with everything that was part of her; but she wasn’t sure others would think the same. Hyewon was right, not everyone is human. The greed could have blinded her ‘friends’ to both, danger and compassion. _

_ Chae closed her hands into fists, numbness invading her with shiver as the cold of fear washed over her. **“Whatever they did, it’s not on me. I have no friends, Hyewon.”** She affirmed in a low voice, eyes dark as she finally looked back at the woman.  _

**_ “Right, you don’t.”  _ ** _ Hyewon nodded, a stiff smile on her face when she finally started making the transaction – a few touches on the screen of the small tablet she pulled out from behind the counter and Chaewon’s wristwatch made a quiet beep, informing she had received the money. The girl didn’t bother checking the numbers. **“Let’s hope it stays within the middle district. We wouldn’t want cops here, would we?”** Kang also reached out for something on the shelves, placing a bottle of spray in front of Chaewon, before adding a smaller, rounder bottle that should contain the painkillers. **“Not that I have anything to hide. But who knows about other people.”** _

_ Carefully, Chaewon accepted the bag the older woman handed her, checking the items slowly – although she could barely pay it any attention. She didn’t know how, but Hyewon surely knew about something, maybe even about Minjoo’s existence and it put them in a greater risk – and while Hyewon was not the type to share secrets, Chaewon wasn’t sure about it this time. **“Thank you, Hyewon. I will be on my way now.”** The best strategy was to pretend she didn’t notice her weird words and hope that Hyewon was just speculating. _

_ However, Hye didn’t allow her to move away, grabbing onto her wrist lightly. **“Remember, Chae, we are friends and I believe you are different from other leeches, but I can only do so much for you.”** Her voice was so quiet now, a rare seriousness in her brown eyes as she spoke. They had known each other for years now, and albeit most of the time it was all business, they had constructed a relationship of mutual respect and some level of trust, and perhaps that was the reason she could see some concern in Hyewon’s face now. **“I put in some extra painkillers. I hope it will be enough, for whoever needs it.”** _

_ Chaewon nodded, unsure about what to say. No, Hyewon didn’t know about Minjoo – at least not for sure, but she was suspicious and Chaewon shouldn’t give her any more reasons to be. **“Thanks, but I’m good. You know, I don’t get in trouble**.” Most of the time it was true, but definitely not now and the way Hye smirked signalized she was aware of it. **“See you around, Hye.”** _

_ The Kim left the place after hiding the medicine inside her coat, her fast steps quickly getting away from the store. She spent the whole way to her house looking over her shoulder, making a few stops to buy stuff and using the opportunity to double check, paranoid someone might be watching. _

_ Luckily, she didn’t notice anything suspicious and no one seemed to pay her much attention, even when she started to walk faster after she was done buying food. It was a relief, but only a brief one. Now she had to face the stranger who was waiting for her at home, a hurt cyborg that might be thing the cops have been looking for – and if she was, Chaewon wasn’t sure she would be able to run away from this trouble. _

** “Yes, of course it’s your house…Thank you for bringing me with you.” ** Minjoo’s voice took Chaewon out of her thoughts, the wounded girl still looked at her with a trembling smile, dark chocolate eyes showing nervousness and maybe even a hint of fear – it reminded Chaewon that that girl, cyborg or not, was in an even worse situation than her and it wasn’t time for second guess her decisions.

** “Don’t thank me for that.” ** She may be many things, but she wasn’t a murderer and leaving Minjoo there would’ve been the same as condemning her to death. Shaking her head slightly, Chaewon came near the girl, shaking the small bottle of spray as she gingerly reached out for Minjoo’s wounded arm. **“I will just spray it on your arm, okay? I got it from a…friend, it should work just fine.”** ‘Friend’ was a stretch, but it was one of the few people who sold quality products and bought whatever she brought her without asking unnecessary questions. That bottle had cost her a few hundreds of credits and she expected it to be able to heal Minjoo’s wounds as quickly as possible.

She held onto tightly to the bottle of medicine, realizing she would have to touch that stranger once more – yesterday, Minjoo had been unconscious when she cleaned her wounds and Chaewon had to put aside any fear or hesitation. It had been a weird experience, even though she had touched the woman before to help carrying her, it had happened in the rush of the moment when she didn’t have much time to think or second guess her actions; this time was also a difficult situation, yet she couldn’t help but compare the soft pale skin she was touching to her own as she cleaned the wounds, expecting to see something abnormal – it didn’t happen, albeit Chaewon had the chance of observing better the electronic plate encrusted in Minjoo’s face like it was just another machine.

Now, however, she had to touch her while the cyborg observed her every move. Taking a deep breath, she tried to concentrate on the task. It was okay, Minjoo was just like a wounded animal she found on the streets, she just needed some care before going on her way again – Chaewon hoped so.

Minjoo only nodded slowly, trying to keep the pain at the bay as Chaewon sat by the edge of the bed, slightly cold and rough skin touching hers as the woman took her arm in between one of her hands to undo the bandages and apply the new medicine. Min heaved a pained sigh, her gaze falling over the reddish, swollen, limb as she watched Chaewon spraying whatever was inside the bottle into her wound – she closed her eyes, letting out a muffled cry as she felt the area burning, a shiver running down her body as the damaged tissue began to regenerate thanks to the medicine. That bottle must contain a similar thing to what they used at the training center, a more painful and less effective version of it – a cheaper one. 

** “Sorry.” ** Chaewon muttered to the girl who looked like a baby fox with watering eyes, Minjoo was a grown woman but she looked so small and hopeless. Frowning as she looked from the healing wound to the bottle – of course, she should’ve known the merchant wouldn’t give her the best medicine for such a low price, even if this ‘low’ price was still more than she could have afforded in other times. Therefore, she did what her mother used to do for her when she was a kid and they couldn’t afford medicine for the small injuries she got from running and falling: she blew gently the wound, trying to push away the burning sensation and ease Minjoo’s pain. **“It will be okay. I know it’s uncomfortable, but it will be fine.”** She reassured, giving her a stiff smile before moving to apply the spray to her head wound, gentle fingers coming to push aside the dark-blond hair and give her a better view of the wound – luckily it was much smaller and a single sprinkle was enough. Minjoo didn’t wince, but Chaewon could notice her face contracting in pain and once more she blew softly the wound until the girl relaxed.

Taking her eyes off the wound to check her expression, she found Minjoo’s eyes big, taking in every single of her actions with curiosity and a gentle hint of admiration – locking eyes with her once more made Chaewon feel strange, the dark pools of Minjoo’s eyes were as deep as the sea Chaewon never had the chance of seeing but grew up hearing about; locking eyes with Minjoo took her to the girl’s own sea of emotions, a sea that wasn’t murky, but calm and as gentle as the small, thankful, smile Minjoo gifted her. 

Chaewon averted her gaze, standing up. **“I also bought painkillers. You can sleep more after taking some.”** She added, avoiding the intense gaze on her. Part of Chaewon was reluctant, asking what had gotten into her head to not only bring a cyborg home, but to treat her like a kid instead of a potential enemy. A big part of her though, told her it was fine – that helping Minjoo was the right thing to do. Maybe if they had met under different circumstances, Minjoo might have been a threat to her, but right now she looked completely vulnerable and Chae just didn’t have the heart to ignore her. 

The young cyborg nodded, feeling her head still light, albeit the pain in her arm had subdued, now only a very subtle burning feeling dominated the area as her cells worked to rebuild the tissue with the help of the medicine – it was nothing compared to the previous suffering and she could finally breathe easily, her chest filled with relief and thankfulness as she searched for the gaze of the one who helped her. Back in the department she was always in charge of taking care of her own wounds, therefore it was the first time she had someone taking care of her and she couldn’t help but feel lucky for having found such a gentle human – even if the human in question had a blank expression on her face, the stiff smile not reaching her eyes, although her touches were still as soft as ever; the gentle blows didn’t only push aside the burning, but also warmed Minjoo’s heart and she caught herself smiling at Chaewon. 

Minjoo wanted to thank her, but she remembered her words. **“I will repay you once I am better.”** She said instead, albeit she wasn’t sure of what would be of her in the future, she was sure she would keep her word. She had survived the years of training and working on the streets as a cop, she would survive this new stage of her life – ‘how’ was still a mystery, but she needed to be optimistic now. 

** “Don’t worry about it now. Just worry about getting better.” ** Chaewon handed her two pills that looked like common painkillers, and a glass with what looked like water but Minjoo couldn’t quite see it. She tried to sit up properly, slowly to adjust her tired body to the new position, and luckily, she managed to do it – her body still hurts, but without the terrible pain in her arm and head it was much more bearable. 

Taking the pills, she thanked the other woman with a simple smile before downing the medicine with the water – she nearly choked on it, her throat dry making it hard to swallow and prompting her to cough profusely. Chaewon took the glass out of her hands and patted her back – or at least tried, she quickly backed down once she felt her hand hitting something hard underneath the skin of Minjoo’s back. **“S-Sorry. I was thirsty.”** She apologized, albeit she felt that the expression on Chaewon’s face now had little to do with her clumsiness and more to do with the metal plate that covered part of her body – now this wasn’t something she could apologize for. **“I’m fine now.”** Giving her a smile, she rested against the wall, so she could have some support.

** “Yeah, I figured.” ** Chaewon said more to herself than to the girl, taking the glass back to the small area that served as the kitchen. She could still feel the hardness of the thing she had hit by mistake when she tried patting Minjoo’s back – of course, she knew that girl wasn’t fully human, yet their last interactions almost made her forget about it; Once more, she wondered how human Minjoo still was. Could she even measure how human someone was by their body parts? 

**“Do you mind if I ask you some questions?”** Minjoo asked suddenly, her voice hesitant as if she was asking a big favor. Perhaps she really was, information is power and where Chaewon grew up, power was something most didn’t have.

Chaewon considered the idea for a moment, before taking a seat on the only chair available and facing Minjoo. **“As long as I can do the same.”**

The girl didn’t ask right away, considering what she should – or shouldn’t – ask when they had just met each other. Chaewon might have saved her life, but she barely knew anything about her. She decided to start for the simplest question. “ **Do you live here alone?”**

The Kim nodded, there was no point in lying when the other was already inside her house. **“Yes. My mother died enduring the last plague.”** Nine years ago, during the last big tragedy this world had to endure and her family had nearly nothing they could do to stop it – it was always like that, a matter of luck decided your future. Chaewon was only thirteen back then, yet she was left on her own and suddenly surviving the plague didn’t mean much when she was alone and could barely avoid starving – those were dark times for her, yet she spoke nonchalantly, knowing it wasn’t time to cry about the past. **“Can they track you down? Will they come to pick you up?”**

** “Damaged units are supposed to be discarded.” ** It was Minjoo’s turn to answer in a monotone voice, reciting the manual as if she was talking about one of the machines back in the department and not her own existence – it was easier like this. Her hands clenched to the sheet a little tighter, albeit her expression didn’t change as she continued. **“My connection seems to have been discontinued.”** And while she was glad for not having a voice guiding her every move for once, part of her wondered if she would be able to move on, on her own.

Chae frowned, feeling a mix of confusion and anger within. Hearing Minjoo reaffirm her suspicions only reassured her that she had made the right decision last night. It was ironic that she had grown up fearing cyborgs, when clearly ‘normal’ people were far more heartless – what was normal to begin with? Maybe for the _Holders_ at the _Sursum_ district, people like her were no more human than trash. “ **But you are not just a unit. You are a…”** She hesitated, her eyes taking in the details of the girl in front of her, from the big brown eyes deep with dark lights of worry, to the soft features that were so harmonic yet so different from her own, and finally to the electronic circuits that could be seen like a scar at the bottom left ruining her human face – it was surreal, something that was never meant to be there but still was, just like the mechanic hand covered in silver. **“Human.”** Her eyes faced the chocolate ones, sincere. Minjoo was not like her or anyone she had ever met before, but it didn’t make her any less human. If anything, the vivid emotion in her eyes showed she was the farthest thing of a lifeless machine. **“Can’t you return to your original family, the human one?”**

** “Not for most people.” ** Minjoo said in a barely audible voice, heaving a sigh. Her time as part of the department had taught her that people didn’t see her, or any of the other cyborgs, as a fellow human – and they would always attack first, making her job much more gruesome than it should be. **“I no longer have ties with my former self, like the others like me. We are only regarded as units once we go through the procedure.”** It wasn’t a painful topic, simply because she couldn’t recall a time before she was at the department to be trained. It wasn’t clear if the department erased her memories or if she wasn’t able to remember since the accident that led her there happened when she was still a child – either way, no family ever came for her; or for any of the other cyborgs. Whoever she once was, no longer existed. Lowering her eyes to her mechanical hand, she took in a deep breath before asking. **“Is my presence here making you uncomfortable?”**

Grimacing, Chaewon nodded. She had heard a lot about the process that created cyborgs, some stories were absurd involving stealing babies to modify them and even kidnapping adults, those were a bit ridiculous but all cast a dark shadow over the whole topic. Listening to Minjoo made the process sound even more cruel, the cyborgs were nothing but toys for the _Holders_. Shaking her head slightly, she shrugged her shoulders. **“Why would it make me uncomfortable**?” It wasn’t a straight answer, after all she didn’t want to lie – having Minjoo there was a problem, yet she couldn’t say that she truly felt uncomfortable around the other woman, at least not anymore. It was a weird feeling, to have the former officer just laying on her bed, but she didn’t feel the urge of making the girl leave, instead she could only think about how the world outside would be harsh on Minjoo if she was ever exposed to it.

With a small smile, the cyborg also nodded – she could see right past Chaewon’s words, she wasn’t naïve enough to not know her presence there wasn’t troubling the other woman. However, she could only be grateful for Chaewon willingness to try. Facing the bright chestnut of her new, unexpected, friend she promised: **“I will find a way to pay you back.”** She promised again, and it wasn’t an empty promise, even though she didn’t know how, she planned on paying back Chaewon’s kindness. She had noticed the girl’s actions yesterday, and it combined with the small house where they were at made it clear that Chaewon didn’t belong to the upper _layer_ of their society, what meant she was probably doing the most to provide Minjoo the care she needed now – a kind gesture she would never forget. **“I have no knowledge of how things work in this _layer_ but-”**

** “You just survive. The best way you can.”  ** Chaewon cut her off, voice slightly cold as she spoke, revealing an old feeling always present inside her chest, growing stronger with years of miserable life in the _Humili_ district – ‘lower district’ as in the last in the line of wealthy and the first layer of the economic pyramid of that city. The district that was the largest, yet the poorest out of three, was nothing but a place for the middle district to get their resources and a place for the _Sursum_ to push the poor people in. People being piled at the slums for a few decades now surely didn’t make it the best place to live. **“The top _layer_ doesn’t care about what the slums do, as long as we don’t get in their way.”**

It wasn’t like Minjoo wasn’t aware of how their society was built, how the city was divided and how it affected its citizens – however, as a cop she had grown up in the safety of the department, located in the center district where the streets were always clean and technology kept everything neat and nice, the small population always busy with work in the high buildings made out of metal and glass. Even though they lived in the same city, their life experiences couldn’t be any more different and she could only imagine how hard it was for Chaewon to survive there. That’s why she kept her silence, her expression grave as she watched Kim, noticing that albeit she appeared fragile, Chaewon was far from it – taking her home yesterday took more than physical strength, it took a noble character and a bravery Minjoo had never seen before.

Sighing, Chaewon allowed her expression to relax as she noticed the way Minjoo had tensed up. She didn’t want to make that morning about her resentment to the spoiled people of _Sursum_ , it was their chance of getting to know each other and maybe helping her figure out how to proceed from now on. **“So, how much of it…”** She gestured to the silver hand of Minjoo, the thing that was so detailed that could pass as a normal hand if not for the metallic color. **“Of you is like…you know.”**

Minjoo blinked, surprised with the sudden question, although it didn’t bother her. The implants were part of her body ever since she could remember, and even if people outside the district may find it odd, for her it all was part of her, like all the other parts made out of flesh and bones. **“Twenty-nine percent of my total body mass, currently.”** During her life it changed many times, to fit her growth and make sure it would be the ideal fit. Most cyborgs carried similar percentages of modifications, scientists couldn’t really rebuild whole bodies, therefore there was a limit to the parts one could receive.

The brunette woman furrowed her eyebrows, her brain trying to guess which parts were the ones that Minjoo had received and how it affected her. She didn’t look that different from the old lady Chaewon had met in the middle district once, the lady wore a plastic prosthesis in her arm – although Chae doubted the scientists at the upper layer would do anything similar to that. **“How does it work? Does it include your brain?”**

** “I’m not sure how I could answer it.” ** It was Minjoo’s turn to narrow her eyes, thinking about how she could explain it. How could she explain the differences between the two of them when she didn’t recall how it felt like to not have her robotic parts? Of course, she could tell some things from observations, but right now much of her external aid was cut off. **“I have non-intrusive enhancements. So, it is a yes, but also a no. Not directly, brain damage is not feasible to fix with this technology. I only had a communication chip to allow the system to guide me.”** The same chip every single cyborg received, the one that guaranteed a direct line to the high-command and the one that was fried the moment the department realized she was no longer useful – she pressed her lips in a firm line, trying to not think about the implications it could have for her. **“Are you referring to this?”** She asked, using her left hand – the one that was made of silver and platinum – to touch the part of her face with the exposed areas where the circuit board could be seen and then the jaw that had been reconstructed, the resistant material safely hidden underneath the natural skin; she wasn’t sure about why they decided to cover this part, while keeping the rest like that, but she could only think it was to make sure people would know she was no longer a ‘normal’ human anymore. **“I lost part of my bone structure so they fixed it, but this plate was included for communication purposes. It is no longer active.”**

** “I understand…” ** _No_ , Chaewon didn’t really understand. Her mother was talented with machines and all kinds of stuff, but she was never really interested in it and didn’t get to learn much before the woman passed away. Whatever system Minjoo had installed in her body was light-years ahead in technology, and way out of the reach of her limited knowledge. She would have to believe whatever the other girl said. **“But your eyes before…?”** She tried, suddenly recalling the weird blue glow that Minjoo’s eyes had before they assumed the warm brown they were now.

** “It’s also part of the communication system.” ** The girl answered with ease. **“In other words, contacts to enhance my vision and activate remotely when needed.”** The system helped her to access information directly from the database before her eyes, like a personalized screen for only her to see. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to reactivate it, or if she should even try – having ice-cold blue eyes would only make her look even less human.

** “So, it’s just like very fancy glasses but inside your eyes and you can’t control it now?” ** Chaewon tried to wrap her head around it, but it just didn’t sound okay to have people controlling parts of your body. Even if Minjoo made it sound so casual, it was clearly far from it. **“That seems…invasive.”**

** “Works along with the device I had for hearing, it helps me to be more aware of my surroundings…At least it used to.” ** Luckily Minjoo was used to having to control her expression, therefore she managed to not grimace. Not having her usual abilities, while being lost in a new place that may be hostile to people like her, wasn’t the best. It didn’t help that she couldn’t be sure if she would be able to activate it herself, or if by doing it she would accidentally contact the department – she couldn’t risk it right now, not when she knew they wouldn’t be happy to hear from her. Hearing Chae’s words made it hard to not show her emotions. **“It’s the price we pay for a new chance at life.”**

** “But you didn’t get to choose it.” ** Chaewon said in a low voice, stating the obvious. Whether Minjoo's family had handed her to the people at the police department, or they just found her in the middle of dozens of unwanted humans, she wasn’t given the chance of deciding whether or not she wanted this new kind of life. **“One last question.”** She decided it was enough information for now – something told her that watching Minjoo was a better way to understand it than insisting on asking things she wasn’t able to comprehend. **“How old are you?”**

Minjoo expected a different question, maybe for Chaewon to insist on knowing more about everything that makes her _not_ like most people, not for the girl to want to know about one of the things that they had in common – the question made her relax. **“Eighteen.”** Not that old in human years, but enough to make her an experienced cop, after all she started working when she turned fifteen. **“According to my files. But we don’t celebrate it there.”**

** “I’m older, by a few years.” ** Chaewon was slightly surprised, after all she was almost twenty-two now, but that girl who worked as a cop and had her body changed by the power of the _Holders_ , was much younger. Not that it really mattered, after all birthdays weren’t a date of celebration in her _layer_ neither. **“Well, you said you had questions. You can say it now.”**

The younger woman nodded, yet it took her awhile before she voiced the only question that mattered at the moment. **“Should I leave now?”** Chaewon had been kind to her, but she shouldn’t abuse her kindness – even if she had no idea of what would happen to her if Chaewon told her to go away. 

Chaewon blinked, shaking her head in a quick, emphatic negative. She thought she had been obvious enough about it. **“It’s not like you have anywhere else to go.”** And it ultimately was the reason why she couldn’t simply leave Minjoo on her own now. Even if it occurred to her, even if she knew that it wasn’t the smartest move and Hyewon’s words still haunted her, she wouldn’t go back now. The world outside was hell, and she may not be an angel, but she wouldn’t throw Minjoo there – not while she could keep the two of them safe; she hoped it could do it for a long time. **“So, I think we might as well find out how you can help me. I could use a _brainy_.”** Being a _leech_ was far from the best thing, but maybe with Minjoo’s help she could find an alternative that could keep the both of them alive. Hopefully. **“After you’ve fully recovered, of course. For now, just take some rest.”**

The big brown eyes, that shine like the rich chocolate Chaewon could only see in old commercials, were wide open with relief all over it. **“Are you sure?”** Minjoo’s voice was careful, trying her best to not embrace the idea too quickly and let hope swipe away her common sense – still, she prayed Chaewon meant her words, otherwise she had no idea of what she would do.

Was she sure of it? Chaewon thought ‘sure’ was a strong word to classify her impulsive decision, yet she had always been a stubborn one and she wouldn’t change today. **“I don’t go back on my word.”** As if to make her words final, she stood up to go check the bag she had left over the small kitchen table. **“Now we should eat. I brought some food, so tell me if you don’t like any of those and I will see what we can do.”**

Chaewon then, concentrated in sorting out the food she had got for a cheap price at a small, shady, convenience store in the good part of the district – she usually didn’t have money for this kind of thing, having to live off of energy bars and all sort of dry food she could get, but thanks to what she got from Minjoo’s vehicle, they should be able to live well for a while. However, she didn’t hear an answer from the younger girl, and looking over her shoulder she checked to see the reason why, but she only found Minjoo covering her mouth with a hand and an overly emotional expression on her face.

If yesterday she feared that girl – even thinking of her as a vicious creature –, today she discovered Minjoo was nothing but a scared puppy in need of protection. The irony made her smile, a gentle warm feeling filling her chest and pushing aside her worries for now. **“Stop staring at me and hurry up and tell me what kind of food cyborgs like.”**

And like that, even if only for that day, they found solace in each other’s presence. There was no way to predict what the future had in store for such an odd pair like them, but from now on, they would face it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. It’s been a while, I know, but things happened and it took me some time to be able to get back to this story. This chapter establishes the lore a little more and there are a few important clues here.
> 
> Special thanks to Charlie for the beautiful edit!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed the update. Thanks for reading and see you soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Nope, I have not finished TYE's second chapter, but due to the recent events, here is a new fic I had promised a while ago. Idk when the next update will happen, I still have 200+ lessons to watch...Well, if I don't d-word, I come back.
> 
> Everyone please be nice to each other. Thank you and see you next time!


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